Supermarkets call for Sunday trading extension for Christmas

The chief executives of two of Britain’s biggest retailers have written to the
Government to seek an extension of Sunday trading hours on December 23,
which is expected to be the busiest shopping day of the year.

The relaxation of Sunday trading rules was designed to help gift shops at the Olympic Park and support retailers across BritainPhoto: ALAMY

"If we can open for the Olympics, we can open on the 23rd. We have creditability because we are not opening on the 26th [Boxing Day].”

A spokesman for BIS, said: “The Government suspended the Sunday trading laws during this year’s Olympics, so that retailers could take advantage of the unique opportunity the games presented.

“The suspension of the law only applied to the specified period, from 22 July to 9 September. If the Government wanted to look at this again there would be an opportunity for wider debate and new legislation would be required.”